I am confident that most Christians want to do right and not go beyond God's boundaries. However, from time to time, they find themselves in situations not knowing what to do.

Which movies meet with God's approval is a problem for many church-goers. No one probably would object to movies such as; "Little House On The Prairie," "The Waltons," "Father Knows Best," "Andy Griffith Show," or "The Bill Cosby Show." However, movies with ratings of "PG", "R" and "X", should be considered as dangerous to one's spiritual health.

Satan has always been a "Master" at getting people to follow him. Se Genesis 3:1-24 for the first deception he planted in the minds of Adam and Eve. Also, note the penalty which they suffered due to their falling prey to Satan's temptation. Satan is so very "slick." He sneaks up on one slowly and before a person realizes it, he has fallen into his traps.

The traps, which Satan sets for mankind are varied, but we will just look at - the "questionable" movies. When movies first became known to man, they were wholesome and very helpful. Due to censorship, curse words, obscenities, profanities, vulgarities and "off color" jokes and comments were unheard of. But slowly, the censoring process has "lowered" its standards. Satan always works like this, very slowly.

Today most conservative church-goers will note the rating a movie has (theater, TV or VCR rental), prior to viewing it themselves or permitting their children to view it. The ratings are:

"G" - General Audience (Nothing questionable)

"PG" - Parental Guidance Suggested (Obscene language, suggestive scenes, etc.)

"R" - Restricted (One must be 18 years of age, or accompanied by an adult; obscenities, nudity, sexual scenes, etc.)

"X" - This is pornography in various forms (Scenes of graphically depicting sexual encounters; man/woman, boy/girl, group sex, homosexuals, anal, oral, "Sadomasochism" - which is men beating on women with rubber hoses or whips for sexual kicks, lesbians, etc.)

Now some folks may say, "We are living in the 'UP AGE' and need to come out of the Puritan Days." That sounds good, however, God's Word is still God's Word, and it still says, "Avoid every kind of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

If a person cannot watch a movie when fellow Christians are present due to its low moral standards, it should be avoided. Well, that is the conclusion one would have to draw, if he is going to allow God's Word to guide him (see 1 Peter 2:11). Is this not right?

A few years ago, many Christians were willing to picket theaters which scheduled movies, other than wholesome one, such as what we today call "G" rated movies. Today many of those same church members attempt to justify watching movies with ratings other than "G." Most well meaning church members do not realize that movies that teach and show filth can become addictive. If you do not believe me concerning this, just notice the enormous number of your acquaintances who are hooked on the TV soaps.

Now be honest. Can a truly "Born Again" child of God watch the soaps daily where acts of adultery are constantly being committed, and swear words are regularly used? You see, one becomes an alcoholic by starting out drinking socially. Likewise, one becomes addicted to heroin by starting out smoking marijuana. Also, one becomes addicted to pornography by starting out with "PG" rated movies and then advancing to the "R" rated movies, and then moves on to the "X" rated films. Again - Satan always moves in a slow manner, in order to catch his victim in his traps.

The devil has made it convenient (via pornography mail order houses, drive thru film rentals, etc.) for the "X" rated films to make their way into homes of church members. One way to stop unsolicited porno ads from coming to our mail boxes is by obtaining Form #39-USC-3010, from the Post Office. Complete this form and after thirty days, if you receive any further porno ads, the pornographers are subject to court action by the U.S. Government. This form should be completed by every Christian, because Christians are to desire to walk holy and righteous lives. Can one say that it is holy and righteous to watch a man and woman commit an act of adultery on TV or on the VCR, or at the theater?

The Christian realizes that he is not to be a stumbling-block, "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12) He realizes that if a non-Christian would see him at the super market with a carton of smokes or a six-pack of beer in his buggy, it would be a real "Setback" in attempting to witness to the man. He also realizes, or should, that if he or she is caught with questionable films or VCR tapes - it is going to likewise serve as a stumbling-block to his witness.

May God help Christians to realize that Jesus did say, "He who is not with me is against me. . ." (Matthew 12:30) It would be difficult to believe that Jesus would be comfortable watching some of today's films. May His Spirit, which a sinner receives at water baptism (Acts 2:38), guide every Christian into making the correct selection of the movies he watches. May we recall an old saying, "What goes into the mind - is going to come out in some manner." Thus, if we want wholesomeness to be in our lives, may we put wholesome things (films) into our minds.

Article written by Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.
Brother Hoyt W. Allen Jr. is a Restoration author, preacher and director of the KYOWVA Evangelistic Association in Ironton, Ohio. You may visit his website at www.kyowva.com.

Brother Allen's article is courtesy of the The Home Bible Study Institute - www.james1-22.org.

If you have come to the conclusion that you want to play guitar the next step will be to choose a guitar to buy. There is a variety of instruments out there at different prices. Let's look at your choices.

What types of guitars will you find in a guitar shop?

• 1. The classical guitar.
  The classical guitar or Spanish guitar has nylon strings which produce a soft and mellow sound suitable for classical guitar music and for accompanying soft songs with finger playing.

  Personally I have grown up with the Spanish guitar in my home as my father was a guitar teacher and we had a lot of guitars in our home all of them with nylon strings.

  I have played a lot of styles with Spanish guitars like blues and rock music. Yes, it is possible to bend the nylon strings on a classical guitar when you play blues if you get used to it!

• 2. Steel-strung flat-top guitars.
  The steel-strung guitar is very good for strumming with a plectrum and for playing solos.

  Nowadays I play steel-strung guitars a lot both with right hand fingers and with a pick. I like the crisp sound from the steel-strings. The drawbacks with this types of guitars are that they can be hard to play if the strings have too high action.

• 3. Electic guitars.
  An electric guitar has electromagnetic pickups transforming the vibrations from the strings into currents that in an guitar amplifier becomes sounds.

  In this type of guitar the direct sound from the guitar is not important which makes it possible to have light gauge strings that are easy to bend. This makes it easier to play blues licks for example.

  I usually play on an American Stratocaster because I like the crisp, clean sound and I can play different types of music on it. There are a lot of different types of electric guitars to choose from.

  Nowadays you can find inexpensive electric guitars of good quality for example Ibanez or Yamaha guitars that are easy to play. I have a rather inexpensive Ibanez guitar that is very easy to play.

If you are a beginner wanting to start to play guitar my advice would be that you ask an accomplished guitar player to help you choose the right guitar for you. Even two guitars of the same model can differ in playability and tone.

I would also suggest that you buy your guitar in a music shop with experienced musicians and guitarists that can help you find out the best guitar for you.

I would also suggest that you buy an electronic guitar tuner to help you to always have your guitar well tuned. There is no guitar that is nice to play if it is out of tune.

Article written by Peter Edvinsson
Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and learn to play guitar resources at http://www.capotastomusic.com

"Joyful Worship"

May I ask you a question? What does worship mean to you? Is your desire to worship God similar to King David's? The Psalmist said that he so desired God that his heart would "pant" like a deer that thirsts after water. David praised God precisely for the joy of seeing and savoring God! Worship is nothing less than obedience to the command of God, "Delight thy self in the Lord…" (Psalm 37:4).

Here's an interesting thought. Pastor John Piper says, "The great hindrance to worship is not that we are a pleasure-seeking people, but that we are willing to settle for such pitiful pleasures." Some would rather stay home from church and work the yard than attend worship services. The message being sent is that yard work is much more pleasing than God. Again, we settle for far too little pleasure. The greatest pleasure on earth can be experienced in 30 minutes of radical, heart-felt praise unto God. In His presence is joy. At His right hand are pleasures forevermore. The greatest reward we can receive in this life or the next is God Himself.

Many Christians think "things" can satisfy their souls. They go to God with a heart-felt request for some "thing." When God, in His infinite mercy, gives it to them, they rejoice over the "thing." The answer to their request becomes the reason for their joy. They never advance beyond seeking the HAND of God when they should seek first His FACE. If you ask only for a HAND-out, God gives you only what's in His hand; however, if you worship the Lord simply for the sheer joy of His presence, you'll get not only His presence but what's in His hands also. It's time for the Body of Christ to start panting after God. He's looking for radical praisers.

May I make a suggestion how you might transform a superficial praise into life-changing worship. For powerful worship in church, I recommend that you come famished for God. Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life, and I'm a big bread eater. I butter bread. I toast bread. I sop bread in gravy. I prepare my bread with jelly and honey, and I scarf it down. Yes, I'm a bread eating man. When I go to worship, I'm hungry for a move of God. I'm praising Him, hoping to be enveloped in His manifested presence. When His presence falls on me, my words and actions are different. They are anointed because of His presence. The Holy Spirit moves upon me, and then I move against the enemy. The devil hates victorious praises unto our God. Because of that truth, I want to live in a state of worship and praise.

I want to give you one word of warning in closing. You simply can't say to God, "I want to be satisfied in You so that I can have something else." That would mean that you are not really satisfied in God but in the something else. And that dishonors God. Genuine affections for God are an end in themselves. I cannot say to my wife: "I feel a strong delight in you–so that you will make me a nice meal." That is not the way delight works. It terminates on her. It does not have a nice meal in view. I cannot say to my son, "I love playing ball with you–so that you will cut the grass." If your heart really delights in playing with him, that delight cannot be performed as a means to getting him to do something.

Life in Christ is good, but there are many battles to fight because we are at war. The casualties are millions, and the stakes are eternal. What we need today is not a call to simplicity, but a call to war. We need to think in terms of a "wartime lifestyle" rather than a "simple lifestyle." Paul said in I Timothy 6:8, "If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content." A life focused on God–making God the central issue of our lives–is a life that is victorious over every battle in life. Why? Because a God centered believer knows that only God can fight his battles for him if he expects to win. I think it's time to worship. So, I'll leave you for now and return tomorrow recharged and ready to take on a new day.

Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is coming soon.
Pastor Terry Dashner. (Sources cited available)

About the author
Terry Dashner pastors a small church in Broken Arrow, OK. He is published in several law enforcement magazines. He retired from the Tulsa Police Department in September 2003. (918-451-0270)

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. " 1 Thessalonians 5: 18, NIV

While I was in the middle of cleaning my kitchen floor this past week -I'm the kind who does this on my hands and knees with a cleaning rag - I was overcome with such immense gratitude for all God is and has done in my life. Can you imagine that? Cleaning a floor and overcome with gratitude?

What happened was that I was listening to contemporary Christian music -it was either Third Day or Two Or More - and it hit me! I was content and grateful that I had the use of arms and legs to be able to clean, that I had the energy to do the work, that I had a home I could clean, that I lived in a country where I had access to non-toxic cleaning products, the list became endless. I was even thanking God for being able to breathe. What an experience!

You see, for the last year nearly my husband and I have wanted to move to a new home, to have more. Here's what is hysterical and how wonderful our God is to always direct us to what is really important -I lived in a home half-packed up to move but then we decided not to!

We'd had some trouble with this home last year and our initial response was to get the heck out of Dodge. That is always our first reaction I think -to flee. Ask Jonah about that! The realization we came to was, we can have trouble anywhere anytime. Doesn't matter if you're in a multimillion dollar home or a a low-income home. Doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, young or old. We still have trouble.

The difference can be that when we put our full trust in God, obey Him and live for Him -breathe in Him continually, we do not have to worry or fret. We can be content with full gratitude to Him! That is what happened to me during a menial chore. I realized in that moment how grateful I was to God for ALL His provision. For Him. For my husband. For my dog. For our home.

We have started to unpack, put things back in order, get some upgrading done on the house, interacting with our neighbors again, cleaning out, fixing up, etc. I think that's what hit me so hard. We have community here. We have more than most folks in most countries can ever conceive of and yet our abundant material wealth in this country always has us seeking for more and better. My neighbor even said to me this morning while we were both out planting plants, watering and doing general clean up, that she gets some new things and then a couple of months later the novelty has worn off.

That's how we are. As I was cleaning that floor (I'm pretty focused on having CLEAN) I realized how one day it would ALL be gone. That what matters is Jesus and our relationships with others! It's not like I didn't GET that before, it's just that the whole idea hit me with such enormity that I could do nothing but literally fall down on my knees and give praise to our Sovereign God!

He allowed me the cleansing of going through all the trials for nearly a year to get to this: Contentment in gratitude. This does not mean that I won't whine again in the future (human sinful nature), that I won't want anything else ever again, it just means that I finally was able to come to some understanding of what Paul said about being content -whether abased or abound be content. Be grateful. Then realize, eternity in heaven with God and all my Christian brethren, is far far more than I could ever even conceive of wanting or needing. God is so generous that He would do that for us through His only begotten Son. Amazing isn't it?

Be content my brothers and sisters and ever grateful to all our God is continually doing for and in us!

Article written by Kim Bloomer
Kim Bloomer is a natural pet care coach educating pet owners on how to prevent disease in their pets naturally using natural feeding, methods, modalities and products. Visit her website at Aspenbloom Pet Care and her dog's blog at Bark 'N' Blog

Look for her upcoming new line of dog gear with Dee Kreidel of FaithMinders.com and a book on natural dog health with Dr. Jill Elliot, DVM slated for spring 2006 release.

A Brief History of Martin Acoustic Guitars

C.F. Martin & Company is one of the oldest, if not the oldest guitar company in the United States. Christian Frederick Martin founded the company in 1833. After years of developing their guitars and setting a standard for excellence, it is easy to say that Martin is one of the most popular acoustic guitar companies in the world.

Despite the fact that the company was founded around 175 years ago, it still remains a family operation. The current company chairman and CEO is CF Chris Martin IV. He continues the tradition started by his family in creating high quality acoustic guitars. As a side note, they also produce some electric guitars and basses.

Christian Frederick Martin, Sr. was actually born in Germany. His family made cabinets for a living, and that was to be his future. But at the age of 15, he left Germany and traveled to Austria to apprentice with Johann Stauffer who was an expert luthier. He learned his trade well, and returned to Germany to set up shop.

He was met with serious resistance. Not from his family, but from the Violin Makers Guild. Martin was not the only cabinet maker who was showing an aptitude for making stringed instruments. The violin makers feared it would hurt their business. Eventually, Martin left for the United States, where he started his illustrious guitar making company.

Martin has both a regular line of guitars and a custom shop. The Dreadnought is possibly one of their most popular guitar series and many consider Martin s Dreadnought series to be amongst the best. Other acoustic guitars include their Limited Editions, The Backpacker, the Road Series, the X Series, the Golden Era Marquis, and the Vintage series. They have plenty of other styles and options so you may want to visit their website (mguitar.com) to take a look.

A lot of guitarists swear by Martin guitars. These include Beck, Jimmy Buffet, Eric Clapton, Sting, Nancy Wilson, Norman Blake, Bob Shane, Steve Miller, the late Johnny Cash, Buddy Guy, and Paul Simon. However, this is an incomplete list. Visit their website for more names and their profiles.

Here is what people have to say about their Martin Acoustic Guitars.

About the Martin HD-28 Acoustic

Simply, the guitar sounds amazing. Very well balanced, bass, mids, and treble all come out very clearly but don t step on each other at all. Sounds especially nice capoed up a few frets. I got the guitar about 2 and a half years ago and I have noticed it starting to open up since I play it a lot.

About the Martin D-18

This is without a doubt the best guitar I have owned or played. Over forty years of playing I have had the opportunity to play many guitars. I can t think of one that I would consider trading for my D-18 including my 1962 Stratocaster purchased from the same music store as my Martin. The strat is long gone but the D-18 is still here.

Article written by William McRea
Guitar Warehouse is your place to Buy Guitar and other musical gear. We also offer a wide range of Martin Guitars and Free Guitar Lessons.

While you may already be familiar with high definition audio from experiencing surround sound in movie theatres and in your home entertainment center, a new technology is bringing the same experience to your headphones. Dolby's new surround sound system allows you to experience the feeling of surround sound right in your headphones.

Podcast listeners don't necessarily have to own special new headsets to appreciate the quality of high definition audio. For the past few years, live music lovers have traded high definition music files online. Usually, these files are high quality field recordings made at live concerts, often sanctioned by musicians. In uncompressed formats, these files can take up huge amounts of space. Therefore, high definition audio post production systems must be equipped with large hard drives and maxed-out memory chips to process these files.

As a result, many podcast producers are introducing themselves to the world of high definition audio post production. While many of the free audio editing software programs on the market handle post production quite well, none of them adequately process the high definition elements required for true surround sound. To achieve true high definition audio post production on a desktop computer, many sound editors may end up purchasing full media production suites.

Windows users accustomed to post production software like Audacity can expect to spend a little more money to achieve high definition podcasts and audio recordings. The Vegas media production suite, while designed primarily for video and film production, contains a sophisticated high definition audio post production module. Using Vegas with the video elements turned off, editors can compose and edit audio in full 5.1 surround sound formats.

Apple users accustomed to using the popular GarageBand tool for podcasting must also invest in some new software for high definition audio post production. The popular Logic Pro software package offers podcasters and other audio producers a powerful set of tools for music creation in full surround sound. While this high definition audio post production tool is one of the most expensive packages on the market, editors using Logic often save significant amounts of money compared to renting advanced equipment at professional recording studios.

Whether you're building your high definition audio post production system on a PC or on a Mac, prices for hardware and software will continue to drop, offering you the power to create audio just like the pros.

Related Resources: Broadcast Engineering Logic Pro from Apple Podcasting News Vegas from Sony www.all-podcast-secrets.com

There are many types of music that people enjoy listening to, for inspiration or simply for their own listening pleasure, but few musical genres espouse positive messages as much as Christian Music and the artists that create it.

Many people that aren't familiar with this genre may assume that Christian Music is primarily made up of hymns, gospel, church songs for kids, and other types of music that you would commonly hear in a church, sung by a choir. On the other hand, fans of this genre know that it encompasses much more.

Some of the most famous in this genre are P.O.D., MxPx, Kutless, Switchfoot, Toby Mac, As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Stryper (from the 1980's), and Evanescence - although, Evanescence has moved away from their religious roots since they've tasted big time success. Evanescence's divergence from faith just helps to illustrate the challenges the Christian rock stars have to face, making P.O.D's unwavering path to success and their inspirational message even more amazing. Other bands like Creed may contain Christian recording artists, but this doesn't necessarily mean that they are a Christian rock group.

Unlike Stryper, who used to toss Bibles out to fans during their onstage performances, Christian artists are more careful about being outwardly religious today. This stems from the fear that they may alienate some fans if they're "too religious." However, this is not to say that groups like P.O.D, MxPx, or As I Lay Dying shy away from their faith. These groups embrace their faith through their positive lyrics and their lifestyles, but they also make sure not to "push" their faith on anyone - this way no one feels alone.

Since Christian Music is always reaching out to its fans, it's not surprising that fans also feel more comfortable with their religion. Thanks to major Christian bands as well as the music that many enjoy in their home or church, artists of this genre help promote a positive message that is inspirational to everyone.

Author The Author: Doug G
phil fischer
phil fischer
email: webmaster_soal@yahoo.com

Ministry is what defines Casting Crowns. All of the members are still active in local church ministry in spite of the over 200 concert appearances they have made over the last 2 years. Mark Hall, in fact, is still employed as the youth pastor at his home church, although he has had to hire some additional help due to his hectic schedule "It is the ministry that creates the songs, not the other way around," states Hall. And the same is true for Lifesong, the much-anticipated sophomore release from Casting Crowns. From the anthemic title cut to the moving ballad, "Praise You In the Storm," this new album is once again an unapologetic collection of messages targeting the church. "All of life is worship. If we're not careful we will 'praise worship' and 'worship praise.' We begin to look at worship as an experience when, in reality, our corporate worship is simply the culmination of the life we should be living all week long. The songs on this new album try to look at what a life of worship looks like. Whether we are called to 'Praise God in this Storm' or simply 'Love Them Like Jesus' we must begin to see all of life as about Him and not us. That is what we want to say to the church this time around."

Lifesong by Casting Crowns

One of my favorite financial guru's is Dave Ramsey. He is the voice of financial wisdom in today's debt-ridden lifestyle. Find out why hundreds of thousands have changed their lives by listening to Dave.

I recommend downloading his free 1-hour podcast

To learn more about Dave Ramsey, visit www.ffsiopportunity.com/Dave_Ramsey.html

Generally speaking, we are a church-going nation. One simply needs to open a telephone book to discover that there are dozens of church communiites in the immediate Seacoast area.

On television every Sunday, we find a large variety of worship services throughout the day. There are even a few television stations dedicated to religious programming. There are articles such as this one in the Portsmouth Herald and other newspapers on a weekly basis.

Although the number has decreased slightly over the past several decades, a large percentage of our population attends weekly religious services. Others may not attend church on a weekly basis, but do attend services in conjunction with religious holidays. It would appear that we have a strong faith foundation in our country.

Continue reading Does Church Attendance Really Matter?